ESPN NBA writer Dave McMenamin calls in to chat about former Syracuse players Chris McCullough and Rakeem Christmas, and their NBA chances with host Wesley Cheng on the Juice on the Cuse podcast hosted by SNY.tv. Editor in Chief Brad Bierman also checks in to talk about Mark Coyle, the new Syracuse athletics director.

Here are the highlights from the show:

Wes Cheng: Dave, do you like Rakeem Christmas going to the Cavaliers, and do you see a future for him there?

Dave McMenamin: I think in terms of him having a roster spot, yes. The Cavs are going to be so cap strapped this summer resigning the guys they intend to that they’re going to need guys on lower scale contracts. Certainly, Rak would apply to that conversation because he’s a second round draft pick and not a guaranteed contract. Whether he can turn that roster spot into a spot as a productive member of the team remains to be seen. But of course we saw grow at Syracuse. It leads me to believe that he’s someone who will continue to work hard and impress people with that work ethic and hopefully get that shot.

WC: Chris McCullough went to the Brooklyn Nets. Do you like that fit for him?

DM: I think when you’re drafted late in the first round, sometimes you luck out with it like Tony Parker. BUt there are plenty of other guys whose name you can’t remember. I think there’s upside potential to Chris. Before he got hurt, we saw that he has that good looking midrange jump shot. We saw his length and if he bulks up, he can be an effective defender. We saw that he can run in the open court.

About Wes Cheng

Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also worked for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005. Follow him on Twitter @ChengWes.